Safety device for infants



April 10, 1%56 N. c. HlNKLE SAFETY DEVICE FOR INFANTS Filed March 9, 1953 Noel ai ifiii kle Fig. 2..

United tates Patent SAFETY DEVICE FOR INFANTS Noel C. Hinkle, Denver, Colo. Application March 9, 1953, Serial-N0. 341,319

1 Claim. (Cl. 227-49) This invention relates to harness of the type used for restraining infants, and in particular a harness including a body strap having a crotch strap depending therefrom and a supporting strap for mounting the harness on the back of a chair, such as a high chair, or on a pole, post, or tree, whereby an infant on which the harness is positioned is prevented from climbing to a standing position on a chair or high chair, or is restrained from moving from an area in a park or the like.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a harness for infants which restrains body movements of an infant without interfering with freedom of the arms and head.

Various types of harness have been provided for in fants particularly to facilitate walking and crawling, however, with most conventional types of harness lateral or sidewise movements of a child are not restricted sufiiciently to prevent the child falling from the side of a chair, and in most types of such harness the child may stand up in a chair.

With this thought in mind this invention contemplates an improved safety harness for infants wherein a body band or belt is held laterally by side braces from a supporting strap whereby lateral and also vertical movements of an infant around which the body band or belt is positioned are restricted so that the possibility of the infant falling from the side of a chair, or over-balancing the chair, to which the infant is harnessed, is substantially eliminated.

The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide means for bracing a child harness whereby the possibility of accidents resulting from children falling from high chairs, is substantially eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved harness for infants in which the harness is braced laterally and vertically Without restricting movements of the arms and head of the infant.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a safety harness for infants in which the harness is braced laterally and vertically and wherein all parts of the harness are adjustable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a har ness for infants in which the harness may be attached to the back of a chair, such as a high chair, without making permanent attachments to the'chair.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a harness for restraining an infant on a chair, or in a limited area, in which the harness is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention embodies a safety harness for infants hav ing a belt with a snap fastener therein adapted to extend around the waist of an infant, a supporting strap, also having a snap fastener therein, adapted to be secured on the back of a chair and having bracing straps at the sides extended to the sides of the belt, and a crotch strap having a loop at one end adapted to extend around the belt and also around a section of the supporting strap, and also having a snap fastener therein adapted to connect 2,741,412 latented Apr. 10, 1956 the end opposite to the end on which the loop is positioned to a loop at the front of the belt.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view showing the harness in a position in which it may be used wherein the harness is supported on the back of a chair which is shown in broken lines.

Figure 2 is a detail, with the parts shown on an enlarged scale, illustrating a snap fastener of the harness.

Referring now to the drawing wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts the improved safety harness of this invention includes a belt 10 adapted to extend around the waist of an infant, a crotch strap 12, positioned to extend from the back to the front of the belt and between the legs of the infant on which the belt is positioned, and a supporting strap having an intermediate section 14, and side braces 16 and 18.

One end of the belt 10 is provided with a ring 20 that is positioned to receive a snap fastener 22 that is secured by a loop 24 to the opposite end of the belt. The loop 24 is held in a folded over section at the end of the belt with the end of the folded over section secured to a sliding buckle 26 whereby adjustment in the length of the belt is provided.

The crotch strap 12 is secured in position with a loop 28 at the back, the loop extending around the belt 10 and also around the intermediate section 14 of the supporting strap, and at the front, the crotch strap is held by a snap fastener 30 that extends from a loop 32 in the end of the crotch strap, and that snaps into a ring 34 which is slidably mounted on the belt 10 with a loop 36.

The intermediate section 14 of the supporting strap is positioned to extend across the front of a back 38 of a chair 40 with the ends 42 and 54 of the strap extended around the back of the back of the chair, and with a snap fastener 46 on the end 42 positioned to snap into a ring 48 in a loop 50 of the end 44. The snap fastener 46 extends from a loop 52 in a folded over section 54 of the end 42, and the end of the folded over section is secured to a sliding buckle 56 that provides means for adjusting the length of the supporting strap.

The snap fastener 46 with the sliding buckle 56 and ring 48, as illustrated in the enlarged detail in Figure 2, are substantially the same as the corresponding parts used for connecting the ends of the belt and crotch strap.

The strap forming the side brace 16 is secured to the supporting strap at the point 58 and to the belt at the point 60, and the strap forming the brace 18 is secured, in a similar manner, with one end connected to the supporting strap at the point 62 and the other to the belt at the point 64.

The ends of the straps forming the braces may be secured to the supporting strap and belt with stitches, rivets, or other suitable means, and the ends of the belt, crotch strap, and supporting strap may be secured to the body portions of the straps by similar means.

In use the belt 10 is secured around the waist of an infant, and with the crotch strap 12 extended between the legs, the supporting strap is secured over the back of a chair and adjusted whereby the infant may rest comfortably upon the seat of the chair. With the parts positioned in this manner the side braces prevent the infant rising to a standing position and also prevent the child leaning over the sides of the chair to over-balance the chair, as often happens with children on chairs and in high chairs.

With each of the straps adjustable it is possible to fit the harness to the body of an infant so that it is comfortable and not objectionable, and whereby the infant has absolute freedom of his arms, legs, and head.

The safety harness of this invention may also be used in. a baby carriage, motor vehicle, or. railway canantl may be attached to posts, trees and the like in a picnic area. The harness may also be removed, folded, and transported from one location to another.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be ob vious that a. safety harness for infants: constructed. in accordance with, my invention is particularly well; adapted. for use by reason of the convenience and. facility with which it may be assembled and used, and. itzwilL also be obvious, that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing fromv the principles. and spirit thereof, and for this reason I do not wish to be, understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the. severalparts hereinshownincarrying outmy invention. in practice, except as: claimed.

Whatisclairnedis;

'In a baby harness, the. combination Whichcomprises a belt foruse. around the waist of an infant, a; ring'secured. in oneenclof the belt, a. snap fastener adjustahly mounted in; the; other. end of the belt and positioned to. receive said ring. a supporting strap positionedto contact thezbelt; at a point in the. center. of the back: and. adapted to, be" positinned; around the, back of a chair or thelike, axing-in 4 one end of the supporting strap, a snap fastener adjustably mounted in. the other. end.v of. the. supporting. strap. and. adapted to receive the ring. of the strap, a crotch strap having a loop on one end extended from the front to the rear of the belt and positioned with said loop extended around the belt and contacting intermediate portion of the supporting strap, a ring suspended by a loop on the front portion of the belt, a snap fastener on the end of the crotch strap extended toward the front and positioned to receive saidring suspended'from the front of the belt, and bracing straps at the sides connectingthe belt to the supporting strap, said belt, supporting strap, and braces being adaptedjto. be positionedin a common. horizontally disposed plane.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 579,818; Cboley' i .Mar. 31)}1'897 944,020 De-Camp. Dec. 21,1909 1,310,958 OConnor: July 22, 1919 1,561,399 Begg .Nov..l0, 19.25v 1,816,262 Ritter: July 28, 1931.. 2649,2361 Vaccari'-.. ..-Aug; 18,1953. 

